Sudipta Dev – Tampa
The third edition of Florida Huddle organised by Visit Florida kickstarted in Tampa, Florida on January 26, 2016. The three-day travel trade event this year attracted 675 delegates from 395 companies. There were 217 buyers from 17 countries. As many as 14,634 appointments have been set up over two days. The premier travel trade event is focused on reaffirming Florida’s position as USA’s leading tourism destination.
As many as 21 per cent of inbound to USA comes to Florida. “Of the 98.5 million total visitors, 15.3 million are international visitors. India and China are emerging markets for Florida. We strive to be the number one destination in the world and we will get there,” said Paul Phipps, chief marketing officer, Visit Florida. He added that in the future, more arrivals will be witnessed from the emerging markets.
The Tampa Bay area which has been considered as ‘undiscovered treasure’ in Florida, is fast changing the perception with renewed focus on marketing the destination worldwide. “What is great about Tampa and Tampa Bay is that the destination is continuously evolving, it has now become a sophisticated destination. About a billion dollar investment is being made in an area covering 40 acres around the Tampa convention centre with entertainment areas, hotels and other attractions,” said Santiago C Corrada, president and CEO, Visit Tampa Bay. He pointed out that there has been sustained efforts to bring international airlines to Tampa and they have been successful.
From being the best beer brewing city in the US to a sophisticated culinary scene with many award winning restaurants, Tampa is fast becoming an epicurean capital. Eco tourism, waterways that are easy to navigate, new hotels are some of the other tourism highlights, along with a hospitable and diverse populace that understands the needs and demands of international visitors from across the world.